Hue and DMZ area

The last part of my trip was to Hue.  The main thing I'll say about Hue is this: it has crappy weather. Apparently the city is known to have the worst weather in Vietnam. I didn't know that before I went, but now I can assure you it's true.

                                          overcast Hue

Hue was the capital of Vietnam for a while...I forget the exact dates, but it was mainly during the 19th century.   The city is basically split into two parts: the old part which mainly consists of the Citadel, and the modern part which is across the river. The citadel is an enormous area hemmed in by huge walls, with only a few entrance gates on each side. Tons of people live within the citadel, and once you're inside the walls you wouldn't know there was anything historic about the area (because almost all of it was bombed during the war).  That is, until you come to the inner citadel which surrounded by a moat and another huge wall...you have to pay to get into that part, and of course foreigners are charged twice as much as locals.


The other main thing I did in Hue – well,  near Hue to be exact – was go on a tour of the DMZ area, or demilitarized zone. That was the dividing line between North Vietnam and South Vietnam during the war, and the few kilometers that separated the area was no man's land.  We left Hue at 6:00 AM (ugh) and got back around 6:30 PM.  We basically spent a lot of time driving around with the guide pointing things out, but we also got out 4 times to see actual sights. But even when we were just in the bus, the scenery was quite beautiful, and there were lots of cows, water buffalo, and chickens all over the place so that was cool.  At one point we passed a long stretch of the road where there were rusting U.S. tanks and abandoned military outposts (some were bombed, others were intact)...when the Americans left no one ever moved or cleaned up that stretch of road so it's all just sitting there today. The coolest part of the tour was going into the Vinh Moc tunnels.  These tunnels aren't as famous or as touristy as the Cu Chi tunnels near HCMC, but I actually prefer it that way.  The tunnels were dug by hand(!) over a two year period, and then over 200 people lived in the tunnels from 1966 – 1972. I have no idea how those people were able to live in the tunnels for six years...after ten minutes I was dying to get out.  But, I guess people will do whatever's necessary to survive.  Overall, I really enjoyed the tour and thought it was very informative.

                               entrance gate to the citadel

                                traffic exiting the citadel...

                             entrance to the inner citadel

    most buildings were bombed during the war(including where I'm standing)

DMZ tour...beginning of the Ho Chi Minh trail, Northern Vietnamese smuggled supplies south to infiltrate U.S./Southern Vietnamese areas 

  former location of Khe Sanh command center and battle field, now a museum

                               remains of a crashed helicopter

                     entrance to Vinh Moc tunnels

Oh, and I also attended a Vietnamese wedding for a bit...this was actually the second time I've been at a Vietnamese wedding totally impromtu. They seem to love inviting foreigners to celebrate with them!  The place we ate lunch was also a wedding hall, and when we were getting back on the bus, the groom (who was totally wasted) invited us to celebrate and he wouldn't take no for an answer. So, we went up on stage and sang and danced for a while, and beers were forced into all of our hands....as in, they were literally pushing beers at us the entire time and if we didn't take them they seemed to get a little upset so we all took the beers. It was so random but fun!

                           Vietnamese wedding...

  the groom waving goodbye...he didn't want us to leave!

The next day, Sarah and I met up with Lynn at the train station to catch our overnight train back to Hanoi.  We got back to Hanoi around 7:00 AM and I totally crashed.  It's sort of nice to be back in Hanoi, but our dorm and the location is so terrible that it's hard to actually be excited to be living here again. The hotels were so much nicer than Peace House, and we were only paying $5 per night!! 

End of Tet Holiday...returning to Hanoi

I'm leaving Hue today to return to Hanoi by train.  We leave at 3:00 PM, and arrive in Hanoi at 4:00 AM...shittiest train schedule ever, but it was the only train that had any open berths.  Oh well...

I'll write about the rest of my vacation once I'm back in Hanoi!

Hotel Review: Hoa's Place

Would I recommend it? Yes.

Who should stay there? Backpackers, young/solo/money conscious travelers, anyone who wants to be right on the beach.

I knew I wanted to stay at a place near the beach, outside of Da Nang proper. After a bit of research I decided on Hoa's Place...it was in my guide book (Lonely Planet 2010 edition) and the online reviews raved about the place. The actual hotel is made up of two parts: a central dining/recreation area where guests hang out, and the actual rooms. I'll come back to the dining/recreation area, but first a bit about the rooms. My advice is this: make sure you view your room before you agree to stay there. There are actually many clusters of rooms run by different families and the standards of cleanliness vary greatly. All the rooms are overseen by Hoa's Place because Mr. and Mrs. Hoa are the only ones who speak English, but the rooms are definitely not consistent. I was originally put into a very nice double room with A/C for $9/night, but it turned out that room was booked so they moved me to a different room. The second room was nowhere near as nice and didn't have A/C, but the price was lowered to $5/night. At first I thought it would be okay, but honestly the room sucked. Bugs galore- ugh. The fan worked, but was fixed way too high to cool me off when I was in bed (which was hard as a rock), and the bathroom was disgusting. I could barely sleep the two nights I was there because of the numerous mosquitoes and the fact that I was sweating non-stop. All that being said, I talked to lots of other cool people staying there and they all said their rooms were anywhere from “decent” to “pretty nice” to “very nice,” and given that my first room was in the “very nice” category I believe that the room options there vary widely. Just about everyone else seemed okay with their rooms, so I would just make sure the first room you look at is what you're getting.

Source

Now, the eating/hang out area is great...just an open air room really, but they have all sorts of maps/guide books/etc to look at, plus cards and other games. People hang out there at all hours of the day. The food system is super easy—you write down what you want from the menu, hand it to one of the staff, and then write it in the notebook where you keep track of everything you eat or drink. Simple as that. There is always water/soda/beer in the fridge that you can take, and prices are cheap. Dinner is served family style every night for 50,000 VND (about $2.50) and the food is really good. It's also a great way to meet other travelers, especially if you're traveling alone like I was. I met a bunch of really cool people, in particular a group of Americans teaching English in Beijing.

And of course, the best thing about the place is location. location, location. Miles of beach. Mostly deserted. 500 meters from your room. Enough said.

Celebrating Tet

Beach Resort Near Hoi An

Tet holiday is beginning... families leave offerings for their ancestors in the doorway

I'm currently still in Hoi An, but we plan on leaving for Hue on Thursday. Tet was nice, although not much different from 4th of July celebrations in the U.S. (think lots of sparklers, fireworks, food on the grill, etc) for non-Vietnamese since the holiday is all about family and worshiping ancestors. Still, I had a lot of fun and enjoyed watching the locals celebrate. One thing that always surprises me is how public most things are here – for example, almost all the aspects of worshiping ancestors are performed in front of the house, where everyone can see...e.g. burning paper money, leaving out food, lighting incense, etc. Of course while the locals are performing these important rituals all us tourists are standing approximately 10 feet away snapping tons of pictures...and the locals don't seem to mind. I guess they're probably used to it by now.

New Year's Eve (Tet) - Out at Before & Now w/Jessie and Sarah

Lanterns floating down the river

More lanterns on the river

Fireworks at midnight

Offerings in front of every doorway in Hoi An on the way back to the hotel

The past few days Sarah and I have spent relaxing and sightseeing around Hoi An. We've rented bikes twice (to go to the beach), but unfortunately I forgot to take a picture both times...it's the first time I've been on a bike in at least five years. Yesterday we also rented a motorbike (Sarah drove) and went to see My Son which are ruins from the Champa Kingdom. Motorbike was great...a lot of fun and the roads here aren't as crazy as in Hanoi. We got lost going to and from My Son...the map they gave us was terrible, but we didn't really mind since we got to see more of the countryside.

Tomorrow I'm signed up for a Vietnamese cooking class!!! I'm so excited...I miss cooking like crazy, and the dishes we're making are some of my favorites. Hopefully my food will come out well, since I'm pretty sure what we cook is what we eat for lunch...I'll let you know how it turns out!

Tet Holiday, Hoi An and Da Nang

Tet holiday has been good so far. Took the overnight train from Hanoi to Da Nang...about 14 hours which was fairly tedious but I had a soft sleeper so at least I was comfortable. Sarah, my travel companion, was still somewhat sick and couldn't travel on the planned date so I was solo. I arrived in Da Nang and Lynn (one of my roommates in Peacehouse, parents are Vietnamese but she grew up in Canada) and her uncle picked me up. We went to her family's house and relaxed there for a while. I was quite the novelty, not only to her family but to the neighbors as well. They kept coming out of their houses to peek at me.... Lynn's family was so nice and welcoming...even though they didn't speak any English, Lynn told me a lot of what they were saying. In the evening we went out...her uncle wanted Lynn to see some of the newer development in the city so first we went to a new mall, then a night market, then a nice cafe by the river, and finally dinner at a street vendor. It was quite a busy night, and her whole family went with us, including young kids. That's just the culture here...saying “my family” pretty much always means extended family, and often they go out in huge groups just to do mundane things like grocery shopping (which explains why Big C is always a complete madhouse).

Lynn and I

Huge Buddha on Marble Mountain... the ladder gives you perspective as to how huge it is.

Anyway, the next day I left Da Nang proper and got a room at Hoa's Place...a little guest house right on China Beach. The room I was given totally sucked, but the actual place and the way it's run was awesome. Totally chill atmosphere, family style meals every night at 7:00 PM, super cheap beer, and the owners (Mr. Hoa and his wife) are such cool people. Had a great time there, but they closed for Tet after my second night so everyone had to leave. I had met a group of Americans teaching English in Beijing while staying at Hoa's Place. We were all going to Hoi An, so we got a minibus there and then got hotel rooms together.

China Beach... Specifically My An Beach...

Fisherman

Chinese characters outside a store in Hoi An... legacy of Hoi An's history as a major trading town.

One of the best parts of traveling is meeting new people... and then drinking with them

Hoi An is a cute little town, the most tourists I've seen so far in Vietnam, but it doesn't really bother me. A lot of people bash it for that reason, but here's the thing: this town was a major trading port for hundreds of years, so it long existed before the tourists were here. It has tons of history. Hoi An was not a town built to cater to tourists; tourism just happens to be the main economic force behind the town in the current era. Sarah (and Christian, another volunteer with VPV) finally arrived in Hoi An today, and it's great to finally have them here. Since in Hoi An I've basically done a lot of walking around...there's a great market here, loving the food and the architecture. Tomorrow we're planning on renting bikes and going to the beach which I figure is perfect...I'll get some exercise on the way to the beach where I have to wear a bikini.

One of Hoi An's most famous dishes... wheat noodles, sliced pork, broth, fresh herbs and lettuce, wontons and chili jam (I got it without pork)

So happy Sarah is finally here!!

Hoi An, Sarah in front of one of the Chinese Assembly Halls

For an old woman rowing a boat, she was going surprisingly fast

Looks more like Spain than Vietnam...

Caught Unaware

Festive Street Lighting

Lantern Bridge

That's all for now...pics are up on my web albums, feel free to check them out.

It's a small world after all (while eating ice cream).

First of all, I discovered approximately eight hours too late that February 6 (today) is International Ice Cream for Breakfast Day. All you have to do to celebrate is eat ice cream for breakfast.  Totally a holiday I can get behind.  If anyone reads this before they've eaten breakfast, I encourage you to partake of this joyous occasion.

But, it's okay that I missed this awesome holiday because last night I ate enough ice cream to last me a month at Fanny's all-you-can-eat ice cream buffet.  It was great. Maybe too great. We'll see how my pants fit in a few days. I tried about 15 different flavors, and they were all good but in my opinion there were three standouts:
1. salted caramel
2. chili chocolate
3. banana

In the midst of this ice cream bonanza, Lynn and I started talking to a really nice woman from DC. We talked about where we each lived in DC, why I moved there, where we worked, etc.  At some point she asked where I went to university and I told her, adding that I knew a bunch of people from the DC area who went to Wisconsin. I also mentioned that a girl in my sorority had really helped me out when I first moved there, and we became good friends (Emily, if you're still reading this blog I'm obviously talking about you!)...I must have also mentioned that Emily went to Maret because all of a sudden the woman said, "Well then you must my know my daughter...she's one of Emily's best friends...Sara Adland." I almost dropped my ice cream. Of course I knew Sara! I mean, I know globalization is bringing us all closer together and whatnot, but come on! To just randomly meet a woman in an ice cream shop in Vietnam, start talking, and realize that you're friends with her daughter...that's almost too surreal. Anyway, just wanted to share that fun story.

Since last night I've been eating like a demon...currently sitting in a cafe chowing down on fresh spring rolls.  Healthy, but unnecessary considering how much I've already eaten today.  But, I'm leaving for Tet holiday tonight and I really need to stick to a very cheap budget so hopefully that will mean and end to this terrible eating binge! Otherwise I won't fit into my bikini anymore, and I intend to lay on lots of beaches during this vacation.

Next post will be from somewhere in Central Vietnam!

A semblance of normalcy, and adventures in taking the bus

I haven't blogged as much recently because there hasn't been much to say.  After three weeks at E&C Center, I finally feel like I've started to gain a regular daily pattern. That doesn't mean I'm used to the terrifying traffic or the constant noise, but it doesn't phase me as much as it used to. This past week I finally started to make some real progress at work.  I submitted some initial inquiries for grant applications, and finished translating some documents into English. Today is my last day of work for two weeks because of the Tet holiday, but I still plan on doing a little bit of work while traveling.

The worst part of the day is taking the bus home.  In the morning I get off at a major bus stop where lots of people get off and more people get on, so I never have to worry about the bus not stopping.  However, coming home is a different story. First of all, I take Bus #201, but there are two #201s and only one of them goes to my street. So every day I have to ask the money collector if the bus goes to Tay Mo. Sometimes I get a definitive "yes," but other times the guy just sort of grunts or ignores the question altogether.  Those are the bus rides I hate, and I'm incredibly tense until I figure out whether or not it's going towards my stop.  Luckily I've always gotten on the correct #201, or I've realized early enough that I was on the wrong #201 and had time to get off and transfer buses.   I just figured out a few days ago how to tell the difference between them, so now that part will be easier.  But there's a second part to the bus ride home: making sure the bus actually stops at my stop.  I get off at the crossroads of a major highway and the small street my dorm is on.  There is no sign, the bus driver only stops if someone yells at him to stop. I tried yelling in English a few times, but he just completely ignores me. So now I try to make sure the money collector knows I need to get off at Tay Mo, and he will usually tell the bus driver to stop (and I use the word "stop" lightly...the bus doesn't actually come to a halt, it just slows down and you jump off). Then there's just the ten minute walk down our one-lane dirt road with no sidewalks and tons of trucks and motorbikes driving by in both directions, and I'm back at the dorm! It's always such a relief to walk to through the gates of Coma 6 alive and unharmed.

                   View of the road from the roof of Peace House

                                          Coma 6!

I want a mini grill.

I actually had to work most of this weekend (that story another time), but Saturday afternoon/night I wandered around Hanoi with Sarah and Lynn.  When it came time for dinner we wanted to find some good street food but there are so many street vendors that it was overwhelming. Then I remembered last weekend I saw a little place across the street from our hotel in the Old Quarter where you grill your own food.  Sarah and Lynn were intrigued so off we went. All I have to say is, go me! It was awesome.  Seriously, why aren't these tiny indoor grills more popular in the US?  A 3 person platter included a huge plate of beef, onions, tomatoes and garlic, as well as the ingredients to mix our own dipping sauce. Seriously good food, and seriously cheap too. 

yummmm

thumbs up! also, notice we were the only non-locals in the place...a sure sign that it'll be good.